Batwings

[Boothill Bob]

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Howdy pards..
I´m making my first pair of batwings, bought a pattern from TLF.. How will I do with attachment around the legs; shell I use staps and buckles or chaps snaps and D-rings
Would be nice with some photos 

//BhB

[GunClick Rick]

Go ahade on and do the straps and buckles,when they get here i'll let ya know how they work out

[Boothill Bob]

Do you got something to Trade GCR? I can trade them, they are some test chaps. But dont send me whiskey, I will pour it out since I dont drink 

[GunClick Rick]

That makes two of us

[Boothill Bob]

So nice. I have been drinkin my part, will last me a lifetime

[Silent Joe]

Bob, here some pictures from my batwings chaps. Maybe it will help you. Good Luck.

[Boothill Bob]

Thanx for the photos SJ, I like those rolls insted of snaps or buckles. Think I'll trye that.
Its very nice chaps. I had some ugly cheap crome tanned leather that I use, so it dont matter if I not manish
to make them.
Thanx again.

[Silent Joe]

Nice, you like it. Show me your result when you've finished the job. 

[Boothill Bob]

Pards. Is this the right way to make a "roll button"? I cant find any info How to make them  

[Don Nix]

yes sir

[Skeeter Lewis]

Scroll down this page.....
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,33029.0.html

[Boothill Bob]

Thanx pards. Think I will have them to my pockets.

[Boothill Bob]

Got buttons on my pockets, tjanx again 

[Boothill Bob]

For my next pair I will redraw the yoke, I think its to high.

[Boothill Bob]

Howdy.. Now´s my first pair of chaps finished. Will buy some leather and make me a pair to.. I dont know what weight I will use, what do you think? Will have them for shooting, not for riding..
//BhB

[Silent Joe]

Nice work, Bob. Looking good, but I don't know what weight you can use. Maybe one of the Pards can tell you. 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Back almost 50 years ago I briefly dated a YL whos father owned a ranch at Dragon Lake near Quesnel.  He had some cattle on a grazing lease and we rode out to see that they got home before the weather socked in.  I grabbed a pair of chaps from the tackroom.  Not much choice, and they seemed quite heavy, my guess close to 12 oz.

The proof that they were not too heavy was when I had to crash through the pine forest after those cows to correct their errant ways. Stub ends of pine branches just broke off on the chap leather without harming me or the chaps.

Generally chaps need not be that heavy.  For show, 4/5 oz. is mostly what I've seen.  Cowboys with more recent experience should chime in.

Here is a great book to get visual information on many western items, and with many chap variations;  Cowboys and Trappings of the Old West;

http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Trappings-West-William-Manns/dp/0939549131

Bob;  Older chaps had the "yoke" almost straight across, while the modern fashion is to have it dipped.

[ChuckBurrows]

Bob;  Older chaps had the "yoke" almost straight across, while the modern fashion is to have it dipped.

Not sure about modern - dipped belt chaps first appeared in the 1890's and became quite popular, along with bat wing legs ( albeit the earliest batwings date back to at least to the 1880's), by the later 19-teens and into the 1920's. The straight top chaps are period but they are also less comfortable when riding unless you are thin and ride more of less straight up, that dip makes them much more comfortable

The bigger difference in so far is time and style is the laced closure of the belt - the wider spread tops with a single lace came into fashion along with the popularity of rodeos and saddle bronc riders post 1910 or so............the single lace was adopted for safety's sake......

[Cliff Fendley]

Chuck, sir your knowledge knows no bounds. No matter the subject.

[ChuckBurrows]

Cliff- due to some ongoing health problems I've not had the energy to do much over the last few months but sit and read - along with 50 years studying and even living at times the subject I reckon even the densest person will learn something! 

FWIW - the old saddlery catalogs are some of the best info resources for dating items - one of the 1890's Meanea catalogs is where I first saw dipped belt chaps....

[Drayton Calhoun]

Man, I love this place! The wealth of knowledge and craftmanship is amazing! I feel honored to be here.

[Boothill Bob]

Thanx for the kind words. I can undetstand why the dipped ones got popular. But how sat the early stright ones on the hip, lower or higher then the dipped. I'm about to modify my pattern, mine dident look nice wearing them.

[Boothill Bob]

Here is a photo. They dont fit good so I will make new ones.